Feed your inner foodie on October 21 with collectible, limited edition recipe cards, mouth-watering food and drink samples, and two extra special gift basket giveaways!
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When: Friday, October 21 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Where: Blanchard Family Wines, CopperMuse Distillery, Downtown Ace Hardware, Happy Lucky’s Teahouse, Ku Cha House of Tea, Old Town Spice Shop, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, Savory Spice, The Cooking Studio with Audacious Truffles, and The Cupboard.
Originally started in 2012, Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ was an idea first introduced by Sean Godbey, owner of Old Town Spice Shop, and George Grossman, owner of Happy Lucky’s Teahouse as a way to recognize the culinary culture and thriving foodie scene in Downtown Fort Collins.
The promotion is a partnership and collaborative marketing effort amongst retail-based culinary shops in downtown. Each month, shops provide interactive showcases, seasonal flavors, and exciting taste experiences and invite people to embrace their inner foodie.
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ – A walk through time
When the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ was created in 2012, the original participants included: The Cupboard, Happy Lucky’s Teahouse, Kilwins Chocolates & Ice Cream, Old Town Spice Shop, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, Savory Spice Shop, and The Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop. Take a look at how Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ has evolved over 10 years.
We think it’s like fine wine; it’s getting better with time.
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™—A History
by George Grossman
Like all great entrepreneurial ventures, Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ was born from a simple question, “what kind of promotion could be created where Happy Lucky’s Teahouse is a destination—just like the galleries are on First Friday Gallery Walk?” Happy Lucky’s opened in 2009, and everyday I noticed we shared the same customers with many downtown businesses via the shopping bags they were carrying. Thinking about all this one morning, it hit me—a walk for people who are foodies. If we share the same customers, then maybe we could collaborate.
I shared this inspiration with Sean Godbey, owner of Old Town Spice Shop. Together we brainstormed the concept and asked ourselves a lot of questions: How would it work? What type of businesses would be involved? What’s a foodie? Would this be one time, or could it work monthly? What type of foodie experiences could be showcased during the walk? How would we get the word out to the community? Would direct competitors be able to work together? We both agreed that any participating business needed to be a retail food store. Sean drafted a description of “what is a foodie?” Together we wrote the parameters for business participation. We also identified potential businesses and split the list; we each received genuine interest from business owners who immediately saw the benefits of this type of promotion.
Armed with a list of potential partners, Sean and I went to the Downtown Business Association (DBA) with our idea. The DBA was already running the successful First Friday Gallery Walk promotion and we proposed the third Friday as Foodie Walk. We met with JoAnn Caddoo, the Membership Director, at the DBA. She loved the idea and saw the potential, especially since all of the businesses were current members of the DBA.
In October 2012, less than eight weeks after sharing the idea with Sean, the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ was launched with seven local retail food businesses on board. Some of these businesses were direct competitors and yet each business owner saw the potential for growing the foodie scene, sharing their unique brand, and understood the value of working collaboratively.
In 2013, Sean, JoAnn, and I won the 2013 Business Innovation of the Year award from Visit Fort Collins for creating Fort Collins Foodie Walk™; this solidified the promotion as a Fort Collins institution. There are other weekend and event related food walks and tours around the country but, as far as I know, the third Friday Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ is the only monthly recurring food-themed walk of its kind.
Through the years, businesses participating in Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ have changed with the local business climate; however, the mission and goal of creating a monthly unique foodie experience has remained the same. Looking beyond the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ promotion, I have seen the growth of exciting restaurants, food trucks, distilleries, cideries, bakeries, and more expand the foodie culture in Fort Collins—creating a truly vibrant foodie scene.
October Samples
Blanchard Family Wines
Sampling 2018 Zinfandel and 2021 Gewürztraminer paired with a charcuterie skewer from Get Plattered
For the 10th anniversary, Blanchard Family Wines will be serving our 2018 Zinfandel and 2021 Gewürztraminer paired with a charcuterie skewer from Get Plattered, featuring Young Holland Gouda, Spanish Queen Olives, and Italian Salami! We are looking forward to celebrating this special anniversary Fort Collins!
CopperMuse Distillery
Sampling sweet potato ravioli paired with ginger is a peach cocktail
CopperMuse will be sampling a perfect fall combo, their sweet potato ravioli paired with ginger is a peach cocktail.
DOwntown Ace Hardware – Grilling Department
Sampling citrus marinated pulled pork on our Big Green Egg
Downtown Ace Hardware will be smoking our citrus marinated pulled pork on our Big Green Egg. We will also be showcasing a variety of our BBQ sauces alongside the pork.
Happy Lucky’s Teahouse
Sampling MuChaCho – a Mushroom, Matcha, and Chocolate nutritional tea blend
Happy Lucky’s is excited to be launching MuChaCho—a Mushroom, Matcha, and Chocolate nutritional tea blend for the 10th Anniversary of Fort Collins Foodie Walk™. MuChaCho contains the adaptogenic mushrooms Chaga, Codryceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Turkey Tail. We will be sampling MuChaCho latte’s and three favorite Masala Chai’s: Mahatma, Chocolate, and Kheer “Rice Pudding.”
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ is FREE. Everyone is welcome to come help us celebrate this community milestone.
ku Cha house of Tea
Sampling Arnie Cha and Pumpkin Rooibos
Ku Cha will be sampling our “Arnie Cha” which is our take on a classic Arnold Palmer. A blend of English Breakfast and Lemon Sonata, this is a great sugar free beverage that is refreshing iced or hot.
We will also be tasting our new seasonal tea, Pumpkin Rooibos, both plain and as a yummy caffeine free latte.
Old Town Spice Shop
Sampling Harissa roasted pumpkin and piri piri garlic risotto
Old Town Spice Shop will be sampling a perfect cozy fall day recipe – Harissa roasted pumpkin and piri piri garlic risotto.
Rocky Mountain Olive Oil
Sampling garlic herb potato salad
Come join us at Rocky Mountain Olive Oil this Friday for the 10-Year Anniversary of Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ where we’ll be dishing up a delicious classic with our own twist – Garlic Herb Potato Salad! Get out your veggie scrub and dig up all those fall garden potatoes for this fall favorite. Made with fresh herbs, onions, our garlic pepper and our Garlic Infused Olive Oil, this dish is herbaceous, savory and the perfect sidekick to grilled, baked or sautéed meats and veggies. BONUS – it’s vegan! It also keeps super well and gets even better day 2 and 3. The perfect dish for potlucks! Get the recipe here. We will also have bread dips with warm fresh bread and olives from Tunisia.
Savory Spice
Sampling Chicken Fajita and White Bean Chili
For October’s 10th anniversary, Savory Spice will be sampling Chicken Fajita & White Bean Chili! It is a quick and easy cold-weather recipe bursting with flavor, but mild and family-friendly. It would be a great dish to have simmering on the stove while the kids are out trick-or-treating!
The Cooking Studio with Audacious Truffles
Sampling Foodie Walk Collaboration Truffles
This being the 10-Year Anniversary of the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™, we chose to make 4 truffles highlighting ingredients from 4 of the Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ vendors:
* Fire Chai Tea Truffle – Happy Lucky Tea Shop
* Espresso Balsamic Vinegar and Blood Orange Olive Oil Truffle – Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Company
* Spiced Rum Truffle – CopperMuse Distillery
* Palisade Peach Cobbler – Savory Spice Shop
We will have samples to taste as well as boxes of these unique truffles available for purchase.
The Cupboard
Sampling Red Devil Cupcakes
All treats, no tricks this Friday at The Cupboard. This month we’re featuring a Red Devil Cake with Buttercream Frosting! This delicious cake is made with red beets and decadent Ghirardelli cocoa powder! We’re excited to celebrate 10 years of delicious food with a great community!
FORT COLLINS FOODIE WALK™ RECIPES
Ginger’s A Peach
CopperMuse Distillery
Cubano Sandwich
Downtown Ace Hardware – Grilling Department
Lapsang Souchong Turkey Brine
Happy Lucky’s Teahouse
Arnie Cha
Ku Cha House of Tea
Harissa Roasted Kabocha Squash with Piri Piri Risotto
Old Town Spice Shop
Garlic Herb Potato Salad
Rocky Mountain Olive Oil
White Bean Chicken Chili
Savory Spice
Classic Dark Chocolate Truffles
The Cooking Studio with Audacious Truffles
Red Velvet Cupcakes
The Cupboard
Blanchard Family Wines
Blanchard Family Wines is the creation of James & Mark Blanchard, two brothers with a shared passion for fine ...
234 North College Avenue unit a3, Fort Collins, CO, USA
CopperMuse Distillery
Hard work and the best ingredients don't mean a thing without inspiration. From Shakespeare to Satchmo, every ...
244 N. College Ave., Suite 105 Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Downtown Ace Hardware
As your local Ace Hardware, Downtown Ace Hardware is a member of the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in ...
215 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Happy Lucky’s Teahouse
At Happy Lucky’s Teahouse we share how culture, lifestyle, health and happiness boil down to just three ...
236 Walnut Street Fort Collins, CO
Ku Cha House of Tea
In Chinese, "Ku" means bitter, and "Cha" means Tea. So, are we selling bitter teas? The answer is Yes and No. The ...
128 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Old Town Spice Shop
Because this is our business we can ensure the highest quality spices, blends, salts, sugars, extracts, peppers, and ...
130A South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Rocky Mountain Olive Oil
Inspired by quality raw materials and a dedication to making cooking and baking experiences premium, Rocky ...
123 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Savory Spice
Spices are our livelihood. We love to inform, inspire, learn and share what we've learned and talk about all ...
123 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
The Cooking Studio
The Cooking Studio is Fort Collin’s culinary playground, a place for amateur cooks, the curious and professionals ...
123 North College Avenue Suite 130, Fort Collins, CO, USA
The Cupboard
Fort Collins Kitchen store featuring quality cookware, superb cutlery, unique dinnerware, attractive table ...
152 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Blanchard Family Wines
Blanchard Family Wines is the creation of James & Mark Blanchard, two brothers with a shared passion for fine wines. They offer hand-crafted, artisan selections that truly showcase a sense of place, and exhibit boutique winemaking ...
234 North College Avenue unit a3, Fort Collins, CO, USA
CopperMuse Distillery
Hard work and the best ingredients don't mean a thing without inspiration. From Shakespeare to Satchmo, every great artist needs a muse. At CopperMuse®, it's our calling to find the best inspiration, distill it, and share it with ...
244 N. College Ave., Suite 105 Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Downtown Ace Hardware
As your local Ace Hardware, Downtown Ace Hardware is a member of the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry. Ace Hardware began as a small chain of stores in 1924 and has grown to include more than 4,600 stores in 50 ...
215 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Happy Lucky’s Teahouse
At Happy Lucky’s Teahouse we share how culture, lifestyle, health and happiness boil down to just three elements: Water, Tea, and Time.
We were the first teashop in Fort Collins when we opened in 2009 in the 100-year-old historic ...
236 Walnut Street Fort Collins, CO
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Ku Cha House of Tea
In Chinese, "Ku" means bitter, and "Cha" means Tea. So, are we selling bitter teas? The answer is Yes and No. The traditional tea, "Camellia sinensis", always tastes a little bitter, because of the tannis in the leaves. The bitterness soon ...
128 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Old Town Spice Shop
Because this is our business we can ensure the highest quality spices, blends, salts, sugars, extracts, peppers, and teas in the country. We fresh grind many of the spices ourselves, making them fresher than you can get at even many other ...
130A South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Rocky Mountain Olive Oil
Inspired by quality raw materials and a dedication to making cooking and baking experiences premium, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil is produced from the freshest sources. All of their oils, vinegars and olive oil skin care products are ...
123 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
Savory Spice
Spices are our livelihood. We love to inform, inspire, learn and share what we've learned and talk about all things cooking - but mostly spices.
We carry more than 400 hand blended spices, herbs and seasonings in quantities that ...
123 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
The Cooking Studio
The Cooking Studio is Fort Collin’s culinary playground, a place for amateur cooks, the curious and professionals alike to learn, explore, and unleash their inner chef.
Team Building: Culinary team building classes take place in our ...
123 North College Avenue Suite 130, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards
The Cupboard
Fort Collins Kitchen store featuring quality cookware, superb cutlery, unique dinnerware, attractive table linens, decorative accessories, kitchen electrics, hundreds of cookbooks, an array of glassware, plus specialty food, candy, ...
152 South College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Accepts Downtown Gift Cards